cleaning tips Archives - Oh My Heartsie Girl

Cleaning isn’t exactly the most exciting thing in the world is it?

When you’ve had a long day at work, the last thing you want is to get home and whip the vacuum cleaner out. However, we all want a home that’s clean and hygienic.

Having a tidy home isn’t just good for your health, it’s great for you too. Clutter and mess cause us to feel more stressed out. It reminds us of the things that we’re not doing and makes us feel guilty, so we can’t truly relax.

So, how do you find the right balance between getting on top of your cleaning, and still finding time to have a life?

It’s not as tough as you think, simply making a few basic changes to your cleaning routine can help to take the stress out of your chores. Visit clean4less – cheap cleaning supplies for the cheapest cleaning supplies available in the market.

Our Friends at Easyway Maid Service, who provide cleaning service in Austin share some of their best tips on a few hacks you can implement even though you might despise cleaning.

1. Have a Clutter Basket

The first thing you’ll need to do when you start cleaning is to get rid of any trash left around the home. That means that you’ll probably have a trash bag in one hand, but in the other, find a basket or something similar that you can put small things without a home into. Spare batteries, scotch tape, and other things that you’re not using, but don’t know where to put can go into that basket for now.

While you’ll need to find a more permanent home for the things in your clutter basket eventually, it will help to clear up some much-needed space while you’re tidying in the meantime. What’s more, you may find it easier to track down the things you need in the future too.

2. Know Where All your Supplies are

One of the main things that make cleaning last longer is having to run around your home looking for bleach, or window spray when you need it. Rather than just leaving your cleaning supplies in the last room that you used them for, make sure that you have a tub full of must-haves in a specific place. This will make it easier to find everything you need as and when you want it.

Make sure that your “essentials” tub is stocked up with microfiber cloths, rubber gloves, and even green cleaning solutions that you’ve made yourself. Ensure that you add any items that you run out of during your cleaning spree to your shopping list as you go. This way you won’t be left without the next time you reach for a sponge or spray.

3. Do Ten Minutes at a Time

The more you ignore your cleaning ritual, the more things will start to build up. Eventually, it starts to feel as though you’re doing a spring cleaning session every time you get to work on your home. To avoid exhausting cleaning habits, try keeping on top of the little things. Setting a timer on your phone for ten minutes of tidying per day is an excellent way to ensure that things don’t get too out of hand.

You’d be amazed at how much you can do in those ten minutes. You might be able to put some clothes away, do the dishes, or even just clear up some clutter around certain rooms. If you have extra time in the day, you can always upgrade to two ten minute slots.

4. Invest in an Upgrade

How much do you hate cleaning? Is your desire to avoid it enough to convince you that it might be worth buying some self-cleaning tools? For instance, there are plenty of robotic vacuums out there today that can keep on top of dust and grime without costing too much money. You can usually get a reasonably good one for $50 or less.

On the other hand, there are also self-cleaning bowl washes that clean your toilet bowl whenever you flush – those are pretty cheap too. Explore your options – even your cat can have it’s own self-cleaning litter tray these days. You’ll still need to do some things yourself, but there’s nothing wrong with having help.

5. Set a Ritual and Stick to It

Most importantly, if you want to get on top of your cleaning, the best thing you can do is stick to a ritual. Write out a list of the tasks that you’re going to do each day if you need to and start there. It’s too easy to get overwhelmed when you decide to tackle everything all at once, and you’ve done no prior planning. Krafty Planner has one you can print

A good way to make your ritual more appealing is to add a small reward to it. For instance, save that show, you’ve been waiting to watch on Netflix until after your big cleaning session. That way you can sit back, relax and enjoy yourself after a job well done.

Related:
7 Must Have Cleaning Tools and Products for Home
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5 Ultimate House Cleaning Tips For Every Homeowner
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It’s already the middle of December and 2018 is moving along fast. For me, 2017 was a year of major changes in my life. Honestly, I think the whole world kind of shook on its axis over the last one-to-two years. So many new events and perspectives are out there it’s hard to keep up. There is also a lot of dirt that was swept under the rug that now is coming to the surface.

Ok…cheeky segue aside: It’s a new world – again. It’s fast and there are new tricks and courses being revealed every day for ways to clean up your health, your life, your spirit, your dog….

I’m all for learning and growth. I’m also an advocate of the “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” mentality. And sometimes the old ways are the best ways.

Let’s take a look at a handful of tried-and-true cleaning tips that worked great in the past, and still work great today.

Not “Lemmon,” Jack… It’s “LEMON”:

This is honestly one of my favorite cleaning “products” to write about. The lemon is a powerfully diverse fruit that is good for your body as much as it is good for your home. There is something called “The Master Cleanse” and the main ingredient in it is lemon. That cleanse involves significant fasting, so if you’re more inclined to eat than not, you can just squeeze the fresh lemon juice into your water for an also-positive effect. But don’t throw away the peel! Toss it down the garbage disposal and run the water. It’s a great, antibacterial cleansing agent that deodorizes your sink drains. You can also use lemons to scrub your pots and pans (add salt to the lemon for a course effect) or on brass to take out nasty spots. Heat up a piece of lemon in your microwave in a bowl of water – it will help remove sticky spills. Use lemon juice in your sinks to help dissolve soap scum and germs as well.

The Versatility of Vinegar:

Although using lemons for cleaning is not as popular as using vinegar, it should be. That doesn’t mean vinegar isn’t just as good, because it is. Distilled white vinegar is widely effective at cleaning multiple things in your home.

– Run it through your coffee maker with some water to dissolve away stains and moist buildup in the water container and other parts.

– Boil a small amount of vinegar in some water on the stove without a lid. It will help deodorize your home

– Place an open bowl filled with vinegar in your refrigerator to get rid of unwanted smells from that lettuce you forgot was still in there

– Place another bowl filled with vinegar in your pantry or cupboard to get rid of musty smells as well

– You can pour vinegar on the stickers for your new cups or plates to help remove them. It’s acidic and will eat right through the stickers.

– Turn on a crusty stovetop burner and splash some vinegar on it. Turn the heat off and sprinkle baking soda on the vinegar. After it’s done fizzing and fuzzing you can wipe down with dawn and a rag to find your stovetop looking like new.

– Vinegar sprayed on newspaper makes a great, streak-free tool for cleaning windows

– Pour it down your drain following your lemons. Then dump in some baking soda. Give it a few minutes to bubble up and break down clogs, then dump boiling water down the drain to flush it out

Baking Soda Is Everyone’s Buddy:

Baking soda is vinegar’s BFF. It should be one of yours, too. It works in drains and on stains. It helps remove odors from your carpets and your mattresses. It keeps food and smells fresh in your fridge. It’s also a common ingredient in toothpaste. Man’s best friend is no longer the dog; it’s baking soda

“Believe no man unless you have eaten salt with him” – Said the Greeks, Supposedly:

I don’t know what that means. Also, I don’t add salt to my food at all, so take what I’m writing with, you guessed it, a “grain of salt.

I’m not against eating it – it’s just not right for me. But! I use salt for a whole bag full of other tricks. Wintry weather? Salt melts ice. Gunk’d-up pan? Salt helps break it down and scrub it clean. Clogs in your cutting board? Sprinkles of salt before you wipe it down helps break loose the food or dirt. Ants in your pants? Well, ok…anywhere? Salt deters ants from entering. You can also add some salt to your laundry loads to help clear out sweat stains and odors. Now you can finally just insert cleaning all the dirt your friend ants made by some quick vacuuming of the place they invaded in your house. Visit Vacuum Judge to learn more about this best friend you’ve got in your house.

The Olive Branch and The Coconut Tree:

I made that up, but it does sound like a good parable!

In all seriousness, olive and coconut oils have a lot of great uses besides being part of bad puns. I love coconut oil for cooking and it’s great for coating your barbeque grill before grilling. It’s also really beneficial for your hair and skin and is linked to improved brain function and memory.

Olive oil can be used to polish your shoes. I’ve done it – it works. Some people like to use a thin coating on their stainless steel surfaces to prevent dust and fingerprints, but you have to watch for bacterial growth if you use too much without regular cleaning. Zipper sZX tuck? Olive oil is the new WD40. Two really cool uses for olive oil are:

– Lining your soap dish so that soap scum has nothing to stick to…

– Coating your garden tools to keep them in great shape for longer periods of time.

My favorite? Helping loosen up that band-aid so you don’t’ have to rip it –and your hair – off.

Recycle The Way You Recycle:

Recycling has become the thing to do. But it’s more than just separating plastics from rubbage. Have a t-shirt that no longer fits? Tear it into squares and use it as a rag. Keep your newspapers to wad up and use to clean your windows – it’s better than towels and prevents streaks! Sterilize your old toothbrush with rubbing alcohol and boiling water. Then use it to get into hard-to-reach places when cleaning, or to shake the dust off your blinds. Grolsch beer bottles have great, resealable lids and are a nice emerald color. Use them to store other liquids after washing and rinsing them out. Throw your food scraps on a compost pile if you can. And, to keep the energy flowing in your home, rotate dishes and silverware when returning them to their drawers or cupboard locations so you’re not always using the same forks, spoons, and plates.
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